In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva explains how to open a painted window. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time How to Open a Window That’s Been Painted Shut Slide a putty knife between the stop bead and window sash to cut through the paint seal. Use putty knife to open the joint between the bottom sash and stool (windowsill). Slide putty knife along the meeting rail where the top and bottom sash meet....
Steps for trimming an interior window Remove any existing casing, stool, or apron molding. Use the table saw and miter saw to cut a piece of stool molding to fit between the windows. Leave the ends long. To determine the finished length of the stool, hold the extension jamb and casing in place, leaving a ¼” reveal between them. Then set the distance from the face of the casing to the face of the stool and transfer that measurement from the side of the casing to the stool....
Founded in 1990, OneGuard Home Warranty is an established home warranty provider that offers standard home warranty coverage and maintenance services, like carpet cleaning, pest control, and window washing, to homeowners in Arizona, Nevada, and Texas. In this OneGuard Home Warranty review, the This Old House Reviews Team has evaluated the provider’s plans, cost, customer ratings, and more to help you determine if this is the best home warranty for you....
Previous episode: S41 E25 | Next episode: Posting on Oct 4, 8pm ET In this episode: Kevin O’Connor, Richard Trethewey, Tom Silva, Jenn Nawada meet in the driveway and discuss the beginnings of the project. Kevin and Tom meet homeowners Molly, John and Caroline. Molly starts the tour by taking Kevin from the foyer to the living room and dining room. Shelby Littlefield meets them in the living room and talks about the design inspiration....
Previous episode: S43 11 | Next episode: S43 E13 In this episode: Tom and Charlie Silva share with Kevin O’Connor a material used for all the exterior trim on the house. A blend of PVC and rice hulls, it’s supposed to perform like PVC, but it’s stainable like wood and can create outside corners with no seams. Kevin visits window restoration expert Alison Hardy at her shop. Alison is restoring the windows on a historic school building in Dracut, MA, turned into affordable housing for veterans....
Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage? Who wouldn’t want to retire debt-free, especially with the peace of mind of owing nothing on one’s own home? The mortgage-burning party was such a feature of home ownership 50 years ago that there’s even an All in the Family episode from 1975 in which Archie and Edith gather neighbors and friends to proudly celebrate owning their house outright. But it’s hard to imagine a similar scenario in a Modern Family episode today, unless it somehow involved the sitcom father dadsplaining the ancient rite and accidentally torching the lawn....
Top 5 LED Lights Best Features: Govee LED Strip Lights Best Length: DAYBETTER LED Strip Lights Most Customizable: Tenmiro LED Strip Lights Best For TV Lighting: PANGTON VILLA LED Strip Lights Best For Gaming: KontrolFreek Gaming Lights LED Strip Lights Best Features: Govee LED Strip Lights Pros and Cons ✔ Can display multiple colors at once Compare Top LED Lights Govee LED Strip Lights $50 Prices taken at time of publishing....
House One editor Jenn Largesse’s backyard renovation project continues to progress. With the new shipping container pool installed, code requires the entire yard to be fenced in. Opting for low maintenance, she decides on a 6-foot vinyl fence product that more than meets code requirements. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time How to Install a Vinyl Fence For yards with pools, select a fence that will meet local code requirements. These fences often need to be 4-feet-tall and will have picket spacing requirements, so be sure to consult the local jurisdiction....
The beauty of spring bulbs isn’t just in the flowers that bloom. They’re also about the easiest kind of garden you can grow. Dig a hole, sprinkle in some fertilizer, put them in the ground now (and up until early December in warm Southern climates), add water, and pretty much forget about them. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time They’ll start establishing roots in fall’s cool, moist soil, then lie dormant over the winter until spring’s warmer temperatures and frequent rains prompt them to sprout....
As opposed to a bubble level that allows you to straighten one picture frame or one piece of wall decor, a laser level works by projecting one or more beams of light across the room, allowing you to level several pieces at once. To help you decide which laser level will work best for your home improvement tasks, the This Old House Reviews Team tested and reviewed five of the top laser levels on the market....
Insiders, did you know you can access the entire library (yes, all 229 issues!) of This Old House Magazine across all of your devices? Better yet, we’ve made significant improvements to the online magazine reader. This Old House Magazine features step-by-step instructions to making home improvement projects a success, stunning before and after photos of home makeovers, solutions for every style and budget, and the latest tools and products to make projects even easier—and faster!...
Carpenter Nathan Gilbert and landscape contractor Jenn Nawada help a homeowner tackle a curb appeal upgrade. Nathan offers the solution of adding some custom-made window planters, made from low-maintenance PVC. After building them, Nathan mounts the boxes directly to the home for worry-free style. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time How To Build Window Flower Boxes Determine the length of each box by measuring the window sill from side to side and transfer the measurements to the 1x10....
Tom Silva returns to an old project to fix a new issue. The homeowners have a new four-legged friend, and he’s been chewing on the trim around the newel post. Since the trim is custom, Tom has a challenge to conquer. Tom gets to work by creating custom moldings, matching the new trim to the old woodwork, and cutting, gluing, and nailing the moldings in place for a near-seamless look....
In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva shows how to bolster a wobbly post with a single screw. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps for repairing a loose newel post Wedge a temporary wood brace between the nearest wall and newel post; the brace holds the post tight against the stair tread. Use a drill/driver and ¾-inch-diameter spade bit to drill a ¼-inch-deep counterbore hole into the post....
Host Kevin O’Connor joins Heating and Plumbing Expert Richard Trethewey in the workshop to learn how to replace a kitchen sink and faucet from start to finish. A relatively inexpensive way to upgrade the look and function of a kitchen is to simply replace the kitchen sink. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Richard goes through the step-by-step process of installing a new sink. Starting with disconnecting the plumbing and drain connections, he then removes the old basin....
In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva explains how to reshingle a roof. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps for reshingling a roof Pry off old roof shingles with pitch fork. Nail down loose roof sheathing to rafters. Cover roof deck with 30-pound felt underlayment; staple felt every 6 to 8 inches. Nail drip-edge flashing to lower edge of roof. Snap vertical chalk line down center of roof....
Surprise! Close this bedroom’s door to reveal a pop of color you’d never expect from the room’s white walls. “A painted door can be a unique way to dress up an interior,” says Elizabeth Wieck, editor of the blog at One Kings Lane, which created the project shown at right. Here, two fields of bright color bisect the door on a diagonal, bringing a modern energy to the room’s traditional architectural details....
Finding places to store stuff is a challenge, especially in houses with limited storage areas. Getting rid of stuff can be a good option. If you have not used something in a year, it may be time to donate it, recycle it, or just throw it away. If you are not ready to get rid of something, here are some issues to consider when deciding where to store it. Many of us stick stuff in the first place we find....
Previous episode: S18 E6 | Next episode: S18 E8 In this episode: Heath replaces a standard toggle switch with a reproduction antique push button switch to match the rest of the house; Ross travels to Albany, New York to explore ways to make drilling for and installing geothermal heat pumps more affordable for average homeowners. How to Install a Reproduction Antique Push Button Switch Heath replaces a standard toggle switch with a reproduction antique push button switch to match the rest of the house....
Previous episode: S41 E7 | Next episode: S41 E9 In this episode: Kevin O’Connor opens the episode in the new basement, formally the garage, where the homeowners want to make a modest home gym and use the rest for utilities and storage. A new furnace is already in place. Upstairs the finish woodworking has started, and in the living area there are two new sets of slider doors that lead out to what will soon be a deck....
